Monster: The Disciple of Atlas
by Schwan
Summary: It's been five months since Amon woke up in the lake at Camp Half-Blood with no memory, five months since she was sent on a quest with the leaders of both camps. And it's been five months since she found out she was the daughter of Typhon. By now, Amon has gotten used to life at Camp Half-Blood, but she still hasn't gotten back her memories, and now strange things are happening...
1. Voices on the Wind

**It's here, everyone! The second story in the Monster Series!**

**WARNING: If you haven't read the first story, I would suggest going back to read it. Spoilers to book 1 loom ahead. Also, this story will most likely contain spoilers to all the current books.**

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**2/5**

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**Monster**

**Book II**

**The Disciple of Atlas**

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Chapter I

Voices on the Wind

Blood. Lots and lots of blood.

It was everywhere, covering everything around me. It stained the grass red and dyed the lake all but black. It was all over me, my skin, my clothes. It was slicking my necklace, my bracelet, and my ring too. All red. It was in my already scarlet hair. I couldn't get it out of my eyes. I had a feeling if I could see my eyes right now, they would be dyed red, not ever-changing colors like they usually were.

Some of it was coming from me, pouring from the scar on my back and the mouth of the snake tattoo on my neck. Most of it was coming from the people around me, the bodies. They were laying still all around me, lifelessly staring up at the sky. I recognized some of their faces. I saw Percy's face, and Leo's. I saw Reyna's. Liam's. Beyond them, the cabins of Camp Half-blood were ruined and burned, smoking against the dark red sky. The Big House was a blackened pile of wood.

_"Good work, girl," _a voice boomed through the air. It was a voice I knew all too well. _"See what you can do?"_

"What are you talking about?" I croaked, throat scratchy and painful.

_"Do you not see?" _my father's voice asked. _"It was you who did this."_

"No," I whispered.

_"It was all you, Amon."_

"No, no, no!" I was yelling by the end. "I didn't do this!"

_"But you did. You killed them. You destroyed this camp and everyone in it."_

"_No!_" I shouted again. "This wasn't me! I wouldn't do this!"

_"How do you know what you wouldn't do?"_ he hissed. _"You don't even remember who you once were."_

He was right. I didn't remember, and the mission…

"This isn't right," I muttered, and for a moment, I felt my head spin, like the world around me wasn't quite steady.

_"Of course it isn't right," _his voice echoed. _"You still refuse to serve me. So if you will not serve willingly, I will have to force you into submission."_

Suddenly, pain exploded inside my skull. I clamped my head in my hands and screamed, dropping to my knees in the bloody grass. Around me, the bodies started climbing to their feet. Their eyes were dead, but their faces were terrifyingly angry.

_"Get up, Amon!" _they chorused.

_"Get up, girl!" _my father boomed.

_"Get up!"_

"Get up!"

For a second, I was blind, frantic. Then, as I slowly started waking up, I realized where I was. I could hear sleepy but cheerful voices around me, most of the deep and gruff.

I was in cabin nine. Safe. It had been a nightmare.

_Another _nightmare.

Sighing with relief, I was about to throw off my huge, puffy covers when pain stung the side of my face. I reached up to touch my temple and winced when pain shot through my head. I touched the other side of my face and tentively followed the gouges down to my jaw. I pulled my hand away with a hiss of pain as something dribbled down the side of my face. I knew it was blood.

"Great," I groaned, and kicked off my covers to find myself facing Leo, who looked like he had been about to rip my covers off.

"Whoa," he said when he saw my face. "You've got, um…"

"Yeah," I said, pulling on my combat boots and my Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and Camp Jupiter hoodie. I touched the claw marks on either side of my face again and winced. "I'm going down to the infirmary," I told Leo. "I'll meet the rest of you guys in the pavilion during breakfast." Leo nodded and I stood, locking up my bunk bed before squeezing out of the Hephaestus cabin.

I stepped out into the snow and sighed, wincing again when my scratches started throbbing in the cold air. Taking a deep breath of freezing morning air, I started trekking down to the infirmary. Normally, there wasn't snow, but a few Apollo kids had decided they wanted a snowball fight. Liam had convinced me to join in, and with cabin seven's good aim, I'd gotten my butt kicked.

Liam.

I sighed again, but this time with a smile. It had been nearly five months since I had met Liam, and as everyone had been predicting the first few months, we had eventually become a couple. After he had saved my life, I had been more than happy to hang out with him. His personality was the best I'd seen so far in this new life, and the stories he told me helped fill in the gap left by my absent memories.

The smile disappeared. Only three weeks before I had met Liam was when I had stepped into my new life as Amon. I had woken up in the currently frozen lake of Camp Half-Blood with no memories whatsoever. So I had decided my name was Amon, I was fifteen, and I had no family. Not that I knew of anyway, aside from my fellow cabin mates, but then I had discovered even that part was false…

I shook my head as I arrived at the door of the infirmary. I slipped past the curtain to find myself face-to-face with Scott.

"Amon!" the Apollo boy exclaimed, nearly dropping the pile of bandages in his arms. "What happened to you?"

I shrugged. "I accidentally scratched myself."

Scott raised an eyebrow but put the bandages in his arms down on one of the cots. He pushed me down onto the cot and marched over to the far corner to rummage through some shelves for some nectar. As he searched, I glanced around the infirmary.

Almost a dozen of the other cots were occupied. The teens lying in them were from a variety of cabins, but all of them were dozing fitfully and coughing. Each had at least four layers of blankets over them and a jar of nectar beside them. They all looked miserable.

"Have you guys figured out what it is yet?" I asked as Scott came back to me with a jar of nectar in his hand.

Scott sighed and handed the jar of nectar to me. I took a slug as he said, "No, not yet. The Romans haven't figured anything out yet, either, and the doctors in the mortal world are completely clueless."

About a month ago was when the first demigod got sick, just a few days after the first outbreak in New York City with the mortals. The people who got it said it felt like the flu on steroids, and to add to the problems, it usually paralyzed you a few hours after the first symptoms showed up. As far as everyone could tell, though, it wasn't fatal. Yet.

"So you think it's not just some mortal epidemic?" I said, shoulders relaxing as the pain on both sides of my face eased.

Scott shook his head and screwed the nectar jar shut again. "No way," he said. "It's too strong, and it lasts too long. Here." He put the jar down and held his hands over either side of my face, muttering in Latin. I felt the gashes on my temple stitch together until there was nothing left but tender skin.

"It's always easier to heal you," Scott said, putting the nectar away. "Something about you healing quicker than others must help."

"Whatever you say," I grunted, standing. "Thanks, Scott."

"No problem," the medic responded. "Hey, if you see Liam, tell him he forgot to bring me breakfast yesterday."

"Sure," I said, and pushed back out of the infirmary and into the cold. I sucked in a freezing breath and headed down to the mess hall pavilion, where I could hear the voices of the rest of the campers. There were a lot less people around than in the summer, but I didn't really mind. It meant I got more room and food to myself.

I sat at table nine and grabbed my food just as everyone started standing and walking to the fire pit to offer their sacrifices. I followed near the back of the line and waited patiently for my turn, thinking about which deity I would offer my food to this time. Since the end of the quest, it had been ranging from Hephaestus to Zeus to Bellona. I had even prayed to the mysterious Lady of Fire I had heard so much about on my quest a few times. Everyone but my dad.

It was my turn. Just as I kneeled to offer up my food, an icy gust of wind blew through the pavilion. I froze as a voice floated into my ears.

_"Foolish girl. You know not what is soon to pass because of your insolence."_

I nearly dropped my plate into the fire. It was a voice, whispery and distant, in my head. I could hear it, but it was coming from in between my ears. I hadn't heard this voice outside of my dreams since the quest in the summer. But this wasn't a dream.

My father was talking to me again. Typhon wasn't going to leave me alone like I had dared to hope.

Hands shaking, I stabbed an egg and thrust it into the fire. Without saying anything, I stood and made my way back to table nine. I tensed, waiting, but he didn't speak again. There was only silence now.

Sighing in a mixture of relief and dread, I lifted my eyes from my plate. Across the mess hall pavilion, I saw Chiron watching me with that intense gaze he had stared at me with so often lately. Aside from Annabeth and myself, he was the only one who knew the truth about who my father really was. After I had been claimed by Typhon, Annabeth had rushed me to the Big House to inform Chiron. The old centaur had known all along Hephaestus wasn't my real father, and he didn't seem surprised at all when Annabeth told him my old man was really the father of all monsters. He had sworn both Annabeth and I to secrecy, but I had nothing to complain about. I liked it that way.

I broke my gaze from Chiron and focused back on my food. I didn't have much of an appetite anymore, but I ate anyways, thinking.

I hadn't heard Typhon's voice outside of my nightmares since the end of the my quest. The first few days after being claimed, I had even invited him to talk to me, desperate for answers. I had used anything from exploding into my cold fire to yelling in the forest about being a part of the mission I had heard so much about on the quest. The mission Oceanus and the Danaids and dozens of monsters had told me I was supposed to be fulfilling. The mission that had threatened the lives of nearly the entire demigod population…

I shook my head to banish the thoughts. I hadn't heard any news of this 'mission' since the quest, and if there was one thing I knew, it was that I would stay loyal to the people that had taken me in no matter what.

After dinner was finished, Leo gathered up cabin nine and we started heading down to the forges. We spent most of our time there now, since it was so cold outside. I didn't dread going to the forges as much as I used to. I had gotten better at building things, and now I was actually making good use of my time there.

Halfway to the forges, an arm wrapped around my shoulders and yanked me away from the rest of cabin nine. I yelped and fought the arm until I spotted sandy hair and green eyes.

"Whoa, there," Liam said, grinning. "I didn't know you were so afraid of me, Amon."

I glanced back at my "siblings." A few of them were winking at me and shooting me suggestive glances as they descended down to the forges. One of them made a shooing motion in my direction and I turned back to Liam. He was smiling in the direction of the retreating cabin nine. He focused back in on me when I poked his cheek.

"What is it?" I asked. "Did you need something?"

Liam got a mock hurt look on his face. "Why would I need something from you? I can't just want to see you?"

I raised my eyebrows at him and crossed my arms.

"Okay, okay," he conceded, looking sheepish. "I need a few drachmas."

I sighed and rolled my eyes, shoving my hand into my pocket and digging around for a few gold drachmas. I pulled three out and Liam snatched them up like they might disappear. He dumped them into his own pocket and grabbed my hand.

"Thank you," he said, pressing his lips to my forehead. Then he frowned and touched tentative fingers to the side of my face. "You hurt yourself."

On the inside, I groaned. Being a son of Apollo, Liam had a thing about him that let him know when I'd gotten hurt. With how many nightmares I'd been having since being claimed, he'd been stuck worrying an awful lot.

"Another nightmare?" I nodded and Liam's mouth pressed into a grim line. Faithful to Chiron, I hadn't told Liam about my dad, but he knew about the nightmares. "You should really talk to Chiron about that," he said.

He was right. I had been getting these nightmares for months now, and I was starting to get really tired of going to sleep just to face my worst fears and then some…

Seeing my reluctance, Liam hurried to say, "I'll go with you." I still wasn't moving, so Liam laced his fingers through mine and started tugging me towards the Big House. I resisted at first, but after Liam shot me a hard look, I caved and followed him.

Chiron seemed to have been waiting for us. As soon as Liam knocked on the door, it swung open to the centaur, currently in his wheelchair. He motioned us in, and Liam was about to step inside when I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"I'll take it from here," I told him. I didn't want to get rid of him, but I needed to talk to Chiron alone. I gave him a look that said so.

Liam hesitated, glancing at Chiron. Then he nodded and kissed my forehead again. "See you later," he murmured, and then bounded down the porch steps and dashed off to go join the rest of the Apollo cabin at the archery range.

I turned back to Chiron and stepped into the Big House, stomping my boots on the carpet to shake off the snow. Chiron motioned me to the couches in the middle of the room and I sat. Chiron wheeled up beside me and said, "What is it Amon?"

"Nightmares," I said. "I've been getting them ever since…" I took a deep breath. "Ever since I was claimed."

Chiron raised his eyebrows.

"I was wondering if you knew a way to stop them."

Chiron's eyes softened. He said, "Are you sure these nightmares aren't just normal demigod dreams, Amon?"

My breath caught in my throat. "I- I hope not," I choked out.

Chiron studied me. "Why is that?"

I stared down at my forearms, lined with the ten mysterious scars that had been there when I woke up in the lake. "Everyone in my dreams are either dead or dying. Because of me. That or I'm dying, or Typhon is using me to climb out of Tartarus-" I stopped and took a deep breath to calm myself. "If they're true…" I shook my head. I couldn't even think of it. "When I wake up," I continued. "I usually have scratches because I claw myself during the nightmares. Sometimes Leo has to wake me up because I'm screaming, and I've even caught on fire a few times, even though I have it completely under control while I'm awake." I looked back up at Chiron with pleading eyes. "Please, I just want some peaceful sleep for a little while."

Chiron watched me carefully. "I see. I will do what I can… But are you absolutely sure these are truly nightmares? All of them?"

I nodded miserably. Chiron told me to wait, wheeling away into what looked like the kitchen to make what I hoped was an anti-nightmare concoction.

But I wasn't telling the truth. Not the whole truth, anyways. While the majority of my dreams_ were _nightmares, there was one dream in particular; one that, deep down, I knew was real.

It would always start the same.

I was always standing at the crest of a huge hill covered in black grass. Far above me soared a ceiling of softly glowing stalactites, and behind me stood hundreds, maybe even a thousand teens, some wearing Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood T-shirts and others wearing drab colors of gray, black, or brown. On either side of me, at the top of the hill, were Percy, Reyna, and a tall boy with dark hair and equally dark eyes. All of their faces looked grave as they stared down at the scene before us. I would always feel dread in my stomach then.

Because below me, at the valley at the bottom of the hill stood a sea of monsters. Thousands upon thousands of monsters, a mass of black that covered the valley from the base of the hill all the way to the dark tunnel behind them. And just at the mouth of the tunnel there stood a figure amid a circle of stone, glowing with black light, darkness and power and magic rolling off it in waves. The army of monsters was cheering, roaring in triumph and victory while the teens around and behind me were dead silent with dread.

And this reoccurring nightmare scared me the most, more than any of the others ever did, even the ones I woke up from screaming or with tears streaming down my face. But it wasn't so much the scene inside the nightmare that brought me so much trepidation. It was something else that made me shake just at the thought. Somehow, I knew, though I could never explain how or why.

Because this wasn't just a dream.

No.

It was what was about to happen.

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**And that's the first chapter! Please feel free to drop a review on your way by ;) and remember that follows and favorites are always greatly appreciated!**

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_This has been a word of wisdom from the Praetor of the First Legion of Jelly Crabs and the ETCA._


	2. The Lady of Fire

**Sorry for not updating last weekend, guys. I kind of had a mental breakdown.**

**I gotta say, though, I'm impressed with the response I've gotten for this story already. Whenever I see how many follows and favorites this story already has, I end up grinning like an idiot. Thank you all for your support.**

**Huge thanks to A MAJOR Bookworm, CowgurlStrong, Awesome as Annabeth, Windowasher65, and Zero202.**

**Also, we've already got a ship name everybody! Thanks to Windowasher65, the S.S. Limon has now set sail! XD**

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Chapter II

The Lady of Fire

When Chiron came back from the kitchen, it wasn't with some godly miracle drink like I had hoped.

"Prazosin?" I said, looking up at Chiron. "Seriously?"

Chiron motioned to the bottle of pills in my hand. "Sometimes, mortal remedies work best, and are weak enough that they have no negative side effects. Take two a day."

I shook my head, stuck one in my mouth to swallow dry, and stood. "Whatever. You're the boss. Thanks Chiron." I started making my way towards the door.

"Amon," Chiron's voice said behind me, and I looked over my shoulder at him. "There is something you must understand about this whole situation, and remember well what I am about to say. Just as a flower does not get to choose where it blooms, a child does not get to choose to whom it is born. Who your father is doesn't define who you are."

I frowned and turned away, opening the door. "Sure," I said, and then stepped outside and slammed the door shut behind me. Standing outside on the porch, I took a deep breath of cool air and sighed. Chiron's words had hit a little too close to home. Of course I was worried that I would end up like my dad, a monster, but what bothered me the most was that because of my amnesia, I couldn't remember if I used to be like him. I mean, I had been _working_ for him, if what Oceanus and the Danaids had said was true.

I sighed again and shook my head to banish the thoughts. Folding the collar of my Camp Jupiter hoodie against the cold, I stepped off the porch and headed to the forges. It was about time I finished that little robot centaur I had been working so hard on this past week.

Little did I know, that night would turn out be _very_ eventful.

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It started when we were eating dinner in the dining pavilion.

"So," Leo said to me, stabbing a piece of steak. He was sitting right across the table from me. "Are you ready for the visit to Camp Jupiter?"

I snapped my head up to stare at him. "What?"

Leo raised his eyebrows at me. "Are you ready for the visit. To. Camp. Jupiter?"

I gaped at him. "What visit?"

Leo rolled his eyes exasperatedly and said, "You know, the visit I told you about when you first got here? The visit we have every six months?"

I blinked at him. "I didn't know that was soon."

Leo threw back his head and sighed wearily. Then he looked back at me. "We're leaving _tomorrow_," he said.

I felt my eyes widen. "What?'

Leo groaned and put his head in his hands. "We're leaving tomorrow," he repeated. "And we're staying until New Year's so we can celebrate with all the Romans."

"Oh." I shifted a little in my seat and said, "Well… I'm not really planning on going, so I don't really need to be ready."

Leo lifted his face out of his hands and stared at me with raised eyebrows. "What do you mean you're not really planning on going?"

I shrugged. "Just that. I don't want to go."

"Why not?"

"I…" I looked down at my plate. I couldn't tell him why I didn't want to go. I couldn't tell him that the stoic praetor of New Rome had exploded at me the last time I had been there. I still wasn't exactly sure what I had done before, but I knew that if I told anyone about Reyna's sudden loss of composure, she would be even more pissed at me.

I looked up at Leo and shrugged again.

Leo sat back. "Well, you don't have much of a choice."

I stared at him. "Excuse me?'

Leo smirked and returned my shrug. "You have to go."

I gaped at him some more. "But… why?"

Leo sighed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, staring at me intently. "Look, Amon," he said. "You can't hide around in Camp Jupiter like you did when the Romans came _here _in the fall. Plus, it's a New Year's celebration. Who would want to miss that? With a bunch of ADHD demigods, no less."

I winced. Leo had a point. When the Romans had visited Camp Half-Blood three months ago, I had done my best to avoid any and all Romans, and luckily, I hadn't even caught a glimpse of Reyna. The only way I could think of keeping her from getting more angry with me was to avoid her, and so far, it seemed to be working.

"Do I really have to?" I whined.

Leo gave me a stern look. "Yes. And this time, that's an order from your head counselor."

"You suck," I muttered foully

Leo grinned widely at me. "I know."

Just then, the conch horn blew and the nymphs started clearing away our plates. That's when I remembered. It was capture the flag night.

"Do we really have to do this?" I moaned pitifully. "It's freezing out here!"

Leo raised his eyebrows at me again. "You are one whiny little demigod tonight, aren't you, Amon?"

I glared at him a moment before looking away. Whenever someone said the word 'demigod,' I felt a pang in my chest. I knew there was no reason for anyone else to know; in fact, I didn't _want _anyone else to know. Still, it hurt, hearing that word and knowing that despite what should have been, that wasn't me. I wasn't a demigod. I wasn't half mortal, half god. I was half mortal (hopefully) and half monster.

I was a demimonster.

"Ugh." My head was starting to throb. I rubbed my brow for a second, and then looked up as the Athena and Ares cabins entered the dining pavilion, their flags in tow. Along with the rest of the Hephaestus cabin, I climbed to my feet to stand behind the Ares cabin, who had allied themselves with my cabin, the Hermes cabin, the Apollo cabin, the Aphrodite cabin, and the Demeter cabin. Since these were such big cabins, the Athena cabin had gotten the rest.

I was just happy because I wouldn't be getting the crap beaten out of me by the Ares kids, and Annabeth wasn't here, so she couldn't knock me out with that stupid magical cap of hers.

We all strapped on our armor and picked our weapons up from the armory. As I grabbed a sword, Leo knocked it out of my hand and put it back on the wall. He gave me a strange look, and when I scowled at him, he said, "Why in the world are you getting a sword from here? None of these are even balanced for you."

I just glared at him.

Leo sighed. "Amon, I get that you want to keep your pretty little black sword safe and all that, but to be honest…" He paused and smiled apologetically. "You suck at fighting when you're not wielding that sword. Just use it."

I shifted reluctantly, but Leo gave me a stern look, and my shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine."

Leo smiled comfortingly and patted me on the shoulder. "Cheer up. You'd be surprised how long swords last, even when you do fight with them all the time."

I grimaced but said, "So where do you want me?"

"Defense," Leo said, and when I sighed, he said, "And no running off this time. Just stay where you are. I'll put you somewhere you won't have to do a lot. Good that?"

I nodded and Leo patted me again. Then he turned away to help a eight year old girl strap on her armor.

After fitting into our armor, everyone headed down to the forest. As Leo had promised, he had placed me far to the west of the flag, a place I would only have to do something if one of the little kids wandered too far. Still, just in case, I drew my sword, albeit reluctantly.

I squeezed my right hand around my gold cross necklace until it had grown into a four foot sword, completely black except for the gold cross set into the center of the hilt. Engraved into the blade in silver letters was the Latin word _Umbraosculatus_: Shadowkiss.

I swallowed a little nervously and ran my hand across the flat of the blade. Shadowkiss buzzed in my hands, literally. I couldn't tell Leo, but over the past few weeks, I had noticed a change in my trusty sword. Whenever I drew my weapon, I could always feel it buzzing in my hands like it was full of bees, and every now and then, I could swear I could hear it creaking, like it was straining against some kind of invisible force. It felt…unstable. I could never really explain the feeling, but inside the sword, it was like there was something waiting to be unleashed.

I sighed and shook my head. I twirled Shadowkiss easily in my hand. Despite the strange behavior, the blade still felt as balanced and natural as ever. If nothing else, I could always use Igneus_._

I grinned a little. When I had defeated Oceanus with the mysterious molten spear that had been hiding in my obsidian rock bracelet, I hadn't had a name for it. After telling Liam about the quest and my fight with the titan at the Amazon compound, he had insisted on giving this mysterious spear a name. After seeing it with his own eyes, he had promptly named it Igneus, a Latin word for anything ranging from fire to volcano, which fit the weapon perfectly.

"It really is a good name for it."

I jumped and whirled around, Shadowkiss up and ready and my left hand suddenly ablaze with purple fire, a power I had learned to control after a run-in with a hydra on the quest.

To my surprise, I found myself facing a child-like figure shrouded in a brown cloak.

"Um… Hi," I said, vanquishing my flames and standing straight. "How'd you get way out here?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you for a long time, Amon," the kid said, and I froze.

This was no kid.

I lifted my sword again. "Who are you?" I asked carefully, tensed and ready for some monster to jump out at me from trees that were everywhere. If this 'kid' knew my name, chances were they were either a god or a monster, most likely the latter.

Though the cowl of the cloak shadowed her eyes, I could see a smile gracing the little girl's lips. "I am the Lady of Fire."

I almost dropped my sword on the ground. I stared at this little kid, mouth flapping as I tried to stay something. Finally, I managed, "What?"

The girl's kind smile stayed there. "I am the Lady of Fire," she repeated. Upon seeing my stunned face, she continued, "I know it may seem hard to believe, but you should know by now that not everything is what it seems."

The Lady of Fire. The mysterious person who had been working behind the scenes during the quest, trying to help me. The one who had told Hypermnestra to warn me about the Danaids. The one who had instructed George Washington to pass on the message that helped me defeat them. The same Lady of Fire who had talked to Rygon before he had left forever.

"_You're _the Lady of Fire?" I all but whispered. "_You're _the one who…"

Her smile turned understanding. "Yes," she said gently. "I was the one who spoke to you as you fought Oceanus. You did well, by the way."

"But who _are _you?" I asked, taking a step toward her. "Are you a goddess, or a friend of my dad's, or…"

The Lady of the Fire shook her head. "I cannot tell you. Not yet. But very soon. You will know very soon. Just be patient until then, Daughter of the Firestorm, and stay faithful to what you believe."

"That's just it," I said, anger starting to boil up inside me. "I don't _know _what to believe in anymore!"

Now the smile was a little sad, sympathetic. "Then listen to your heart. It helped you defeat Oceanus."

I didn't know how to respond to that. She was right. Despite my doubts, I had known in my heart that I had to protect my demigod friends when Oceanus had asked me to join him, and I had defeated him.

I took a deep breath and said, "I will, but… I'm lost. I don't know who I am. Isn't there any way you can help me, like you did during the quest?'

Her smile was almost pained now. "I already am," she said. She paused, and then said, "Stay strong, Amon. You will know soon. You will know who I am. You will know why you feel so lost, and very soon…"

"Very soon, you will remember."

With that, she started glowing, and I knew I had to turn away or else my brain would turn to mush. I didn't want to, but I closed my eyes and turned away. There was a flash of light and a blast and heat, and when I looked back at the spot the Lady of Fire had been standing, she was completely gone, a black spot on the ground the only sign she'd been there in the first place.

I felt like screaming, but just then, the conch horn sounded. I shrunk Shadowkiss and slipped the necklace over my head. Then I stopped.

I hadn't heard cheering, which was always sure to ring through the forest after a victory. So why was the conch horn being blown right now?

Feeling sick to my stomach, I started jogging in the direction of the dining pavilion. If they were blowing the conch horn, it was for a good reason. As I ran, I wiped away the snowflakes that kept getting into my eyes and melting on my face. When I got to the dining pavilion, it was already packed with armored demigods, who were whispering conspiratorially to each other. I pushed my way through the crowd until I found Liam. I stepped up beside him and took his hand in mine.

"Any idea what's going on?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No clue. You?"

I shook my head and watched as Chiron clomped up onto the raised podium at the front of the building in centaur form. He gazed around the dining pavilion and then slammed his hoof down on the marble stone. Everyone went silent.

"Miranda," Chiron called. The head counselor of the Demeter cabin stepped forward, back straight. "Go check on the Golden Fleece."

Miranda looked confused, but she bowed and ran off in the direction of Thalia's tree. Murmurs ran through the pavilion as everyone watched her go. Chiron slammed his hoof down and everyone quieted once more.

"Demigods!" he called. "I need to know if any of you wished for it to snow within the camp border." At a few murmurs, he continued, "I assure you will not be in trouble, but I _must _know if any of you have wished for this weather."

That's when I, along with most of the others, really took notice in the huge flakes of snow that were floating down around the pavilion. Everyone, looked around, but no one said a word, and no one raised a hand to take responsibility. We could all tell from the sternness in Chiron's voice that this was serious, but still, no one stepped up.

Chiron's expression was dark. He said, "I ask because whenever a camper wishes for it to snow within the border of our camp, both Seymour and I know it. But this time, I felt nothing, and I know Seymour did not either. If no one wished for it to snow, then something terribly wrong has happened."

Then, Miranda returned, looking confused as ever. "The Golden Fleece is fine, Chiron," she said. "Peleus is there, and I checked Thalia's tree. It's as healthy as ever."

"What's going on, Chiron?" a voice called.

Chiron gazed over the attendance, looking grim. "Without anyone's consent, it has started snowing within the borders of this camp."

Murmurs swept across the pavilion.

"So what?" Clarisse's voice yelled. "It's snowing, big deal! Why the big hullabaloo?"

"Because it's more than that," Scott said, climbing up onto the pavilion beside Chiron. "Two more people got sick today. That hasn't happened before now." He glanced over at Chiron before continuing. "And the first mortal died in New York today."

"They're connected," I muttered to myself. Then, louder, "They're connected, aren't they?"

Hundreds of eyes turned from me to Chiron as the centaur nodded and said, "I believe so. I do not know how or why, but there is no doubt in my mind they are."

Everyone murmured a little more as they considered this. Then, everyone went silent when Leo called, "Are we still going to Camp Jupiter?"

Chiron seemed to consider this for a long time. Finally, he nodded. "If anything, it makes our trip more urgent," he said. "Perhaps speaking with the Romans will help us find a way to stop this sickness and see if anything strange has been happening at that camp."

"Won't we get them sick too?" a small boy from the Aphrodite cabin asked.

"No," Scott said from up on the podium. "They have it at their camp too. If any of us are sick, it won't make much of a difference."

There was silence for a long moment before Chiron said, "Everyone pack tonight and then sleep. You leave first thing tomorrow morning."

As everyone surged out of the dining pavilion, chattering excitedly, I kept hold of Liam's hand. When we had escaped from the crowd of demigods, I pulled him aside.

"Please tell me you're coming," I said.

Liam gave me a strange look. "Of course I'm coming," he said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I wasn't sure if you would have to stay behind for the sick or not."

Liam must've seen the concern in my eyes, because he smiled. "No," he said. "We already assigned a couple others to help with that, and I'm not one of them. Actually, Scott wanted to send me to talk with the Romans about it, see if we could get any info that would help stop this thing."

I let out a sigh of relief and Liam's smile turned to a wide grin. "Aw, were you worried about me, Amon?"

"Of course I was worried about you!" I said, pushing him. "You're my boyfriend!"

Liam just grinned a little bit more. He pulled me into a quick hug and then said, "Better go pack up. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

Liam kissed me on the forehead, like he always did when saying goodbye, and marched off to the Apollo cabin. I watched him go and then turned to return to the Hephaestus cabin. Once I got there, I pulled out my bag and stuffed a few extra changes of clothes in it. Then I popped a Prazosin pill into my mouth and fell into bed.

I fell asleep fast, but the dreams had yet to come.

* * *

**Hope you liked it! Please feel free to drop a review on your way by, and remember that follows and favorites are always greatly appreciated!**

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* * *

_This has been a word of wisdom from the Praetor of the First Legion of Jelly Crabs._


	3. Troubles

**Sorry, guys. Life...**

* * *

Chapter III

Troubles

I got lucky. My first dream wasn't a nightmare.

I found myself standing on the edge of a cliff. Below me, dark waves crashed against the rocky face. A freezing wind swept past and I shivered.

"Fire!" a voice yelled behind me. I whirled as another voice cried, "No!" The scene before me barely processed in my brain.

Lying in the snow a few feet away were Percy, Thalia, and a satyr I dimly remembered named Grover. Percy looked a few years younger, but Thalia looked almost exactly the same, save she wasn't dressed in her Hunter clothing. Flailing beside them was a lion-like monster with a leathery, spiked tail.

"Manticore," I whispered. Just like with the Minotaur, I somehow knew, but I could never explain how I knew. Maybe it was something I'd inherited from my dad.

Hanging off the manticore's back was a younger Annabeth, and past them, I could see a boy and girl with olive skin and dark hair. Standing at the edge of the clearing were the Hunters, but this time, Thalia wasn't at their front. Instead, it was a lithe girl with dark hair and a smaller girl with auburn hair.

The Hunters let loose a volley of arrows at the manticore, despite Annabeth still hanging off its back. A few hit their target, and the manticore howled, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!" Then he turned and leaped past me, over the edge of the cliff. When I turned to watch him fall, he had disappeared, along with Annabeth.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. He stumbled toward the cliff, but then there was the sound of gunfire, and I noticed the helicopter hovering out over the water. I didn't know who was piloting it, but I knew they weren't demigod-friendly.

"Mortals are not allowed to witness my hunt," the auburn-haired girl said. She thrust her hand towards the helicopter, and it exploded into a flock of raven.

The Hunters advanced on the remaining demigods. The girl with the dark hair stopped in front of Thalia and said, "You."

"Zoë Nightshade," Thalia growled back. "Perfect timing, as usual."

The girl named Zoë surveyed Percy, the satyr, and the two dark-haired kids. Then, unexpectedly, she turned to me, her eyes landing right on me. She opened her mouth, but the words that spilled out were not her own:

_"The sword the scabbard and the curse,_

_Come together at their worst,_

_Darkness shall engulf the land,_

_And bonds will rise up from the black sand,"_

"_A life doomed to fail in the end," _I breathed the last two lines as the scene around me started blurring into something else. _"With death by him who was always a friend."_

"The Third Great Prophecy," a deep voice rumbled behind me. "It will come to pass soon."

"Yes," a female voice replied, soft as snow.

I looked around to find the source of the voices, but I was surrounded by a swirling snowstorm. Wherever I looked, clouds of white powder obscured my vision and blew into my eyes. A few feet away, electricity crackled.

"Will it involve _her?_" A boy that sounded about my age asked.

A moment of considering silence. Then the booming voice said, "Yes, I believe it will involve her, Son of the Three Souls. But then again, if we can overcome the failure of the first phase, then the plan may succeed and the prophecy will not mean anything to anyone. The gods and demigods will all be gone by then."

I started in the direction it sounded like the voices were coming from, but each step was like walking through mud. The wind and snow battered me from all sides, making me stumble.

"Don't forget," the female's voice said. "Overcoming the failure of the first phase is up to you, Son of the Three Souls."

"Not just me," the boy's voice snapped. "It's up to you too. Don't forget the deal you made with the Master. Since Oceanus failed the first time, the demigods will be more wary. It will take the both of us to kill them."

"We are on our way already," the woman's voice sang, a cruel laugh in her voice. "The mortals are already beginning to snuff out."

"Good," the deep voice approved. "You are both fulfilling your roles. Now, I believe it is time I checked on our guest…"

The woman's voice laughed sadistically and an even stronger gust of wind pushed me from behind. I pitched forward, but instead of hitting the ground, I kept falling. Wind whistled past my ears as the snowstorm swept away, and then I was falling in complete darkness.

A moment later, a red glow appeared below me. As I fell closer to the glow, I realized it was coming from a pit circled by jagged rocks. But no, that wasn't a pit. That was a mouth. And those rocks were teeth.

"_Foolish girl," _Typhon's voice boomed around me. _"Do you not see? The path you continue to follow will only ensure your destruction."_

I grit my teeth as the air around me suddenly grew hotter. Shards of black glass seemed to be floating in the air, and as I fell, they sliced into me, cutting hundreds of tiny red scratches across my skin.

"_Obey me, girl!"_

And then hundreds of other voices were around me, chorusing, _"Obey! Obey!" _Some were screaming it in agony, others crying it in despair. As I fell closer to the gaping mouth, they grew louder until they filled my ears and head.

"Stop it!" I yelled, clamping my hands over my ears. But once I opened my mouth, the shards of black glass lodged in the roof of my mouth and my throat. Blood started to fill my mouth and nose.

_"Obey me, Daughter of the Firestorm."_

_ "Obey!"_

_ "Obey!"_

I dropped into the gigantic maw. I could see now that the glow at the bottom was lava. But there was no way to stop myself. With the glass still cutting at my skin and the voices screaming around me, I dropped into the burning pit-

And then I was in my bunk in Cabin Nine, gasping for air. A cold sweat was pouring down my face. When I looked down at myself, there were tiny scratches covering my arms and stomach. My nails were tinged red where they'd gone a little too deep during my nightmare.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to steady my breathing. Then there was a yell outside the cabin and my eyes snapped open again. A few people rustled around in their bunks. Someone mumbled about it being the middle of the night and why were there people making a racket outside. There was more yelling and the sound of pounding feet. Someone banged on Cabin Nine's door once and then ran on. The kids around me started sitting up quickly and grabbing their weapons. I threw off my covers as a few rushed out the door, and I followed quickly after, along with most of Cabin Nine.

Once outside, I was grateful that I had thought to put my boots on. The snow was now at least a half-foot deep, and there was more that was still falling from the cloudy night sky. A few of my cabin mates had to retreat back into Cabin Nine to get their shoes, but the rest of us slugged down towards Half-Blood Hill, where I could see a growing crowd of pajama-clad demigods.

When we got there, everyone was strangely silent. I elbowed my way through the mob of mismatched half-bloods until I was standing at the front beside Liam. I was about to ask him what was wrong, but then I stopped short and stared at the scene before me.

A few feet outside the border of Camp Half-Blood stood six cloaked figures. Each of them carried a staff in their hand or on their back. I could feel warmth emanating from them, like I was standing a few feet away from a giant hearth. I couldn't see their faces, and none of them spoke, but as soon as I came into view, I felt all of their attention suddenly zero in on me. Liam must've felt it too, because he gripped the hilt of his sword and drew me a little closer.

An Ares kid named Sidney stepped forward, in front of the rest of the crowd but still just inside the camp border. "Who are you?" she bellowed out to the silent group of cloaked figures. None of them answered, and Sidney hefted her spear. "Alright," she growled. "If you won't say anything, then we'll-"

"Sidney!"

Chiron rarely yelled, so when he did, it got everyone's attention. His quick bark made us all look away from the cloaked mob for just a second, but it was enough. When I looked back to where they had been standing, they were gone.

Sidney grit her teeth and lowered her spear. She turned toward Chiron. "Who were those people?" she sneered, obviously miffed that she hadn't gotten to fight anybody. The rest of the gathered crowd of demigods turned toward Chiron expectantly.

The centaur looked like he didn't want to answer, but he said, "I cannot say for sure, as I have never met them in all my thousands of years alive, but I believe those may have been the Vestal Virgins."

"The Vestal Virgins?" Liam asked beside me. He had his arm around my shoulders like he was still trying to protect me. "What is that?"

"_Who _is that," Chiron corrected. Then he took a deep breath and said, "You all know of Hestia."

"The goddess of hearth and home," an Athena kid called out.

Chiron nodded. "In Rome, she is known as Vesta. The Vestal Virgins were highly respected priestesses who tended to the sacred hearth of Rome that was never allowed to go out." He shook his head. "But they were destroyed when Rome fell."

"In case you hadn't noticed, Chiron," Scott said, a few feet to my right. "Rome isn't exactly gone, so why would it be impossible for the Vestal Virgins to still be around too?"

Chiron seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding slowly. Then he murmured, "If it truly is them…" He shook his head and looked at us. "Return to you cabins and get some rest. You are still leaving for Camp Jupiter in the morning."

"You expect us to sleep after that?" Leo called. A few others mumbled in agreement.

Chiron leveled him with a stern stare. "If they were truly the Vestal Virgins, and they wanted something now, they would have gotten it. As it is, we must be patient until we see what it is they do want. We can do nothing right now but wait."

Several people grumbled, but everyone began trudging back to their cabins. Liam hugged me against his side for a minute and kissed me on the forehead before heading off with the rest of the Apollo cabin.

As the crowd dispersed, I glanced back past the camp border. For a moment, I thought I saw the small, cloaked figure of the Lady of Fire standing among the trees, but then I blinked, and she was gone.

I shook my head and hurried after the rest of Cabin Nine.

* * *

I didn't get any sleep the rest of the night. Not because of the surprise visit from the Vestal Virgins, but because I didn't want anymore dreams – nightmare or not. By the time I got up with the sun, the scratches on my arms and stomach had disappeared thanks to my mysterious quick healing.

Everyone was bundled up in coats and pants when we headed up to the dining pavilion. The sky had cleared, but the air was still frigid and there was now over a foot of snow. As we ate a cold breakfast, Leo emanated heat to keep us all warm. Of course, I couldn't do anything to help; my flames would do nothing but make everyone even colder.

Once we had finished eating, Chiron wished us luck, fun, and safety. Then we all retrieved our things from our cabins and headed to the amphitheater. Once we got there, Leo and another senior counselor stepped up to either side of the portal (Chiron was still angry with me for calling it that a few weeks ago) and placed their hands on the identical runes.

Just like it had when I had first crossed through it five months ago, the inside of the arch rippled like a disturbed pond. Then we all were staring through to a crowd of Roman demigods, all of them huddled together in a strange combination of armor and winter clothing.

"Hurry up!" Leo called when the people in the front didn't move forward for a few seconds. This got them going, though, and soon we were all pouring through into Camp Jupiter. Last through was Leo, and the portal closed with a snap, crackle, and pop behind him.

Once on the other side, I made my way quickly towards Lily and Hank, the centurions of the Third Cohort. I kept my eyes to the ground as I walked. I didn't dare lift my gaze up for fear that I would find a head of long, dark hair.

_You're pathetic, _a little voice in the back of my head snarked. _You can fight off a dozen monsters and you've gone one-on-one with a titan, but you can't look one angry girl in the eye?_

_ She's the praetor of New Rome, _I replied. _Not to mention a daughter of Bellona. Plus, it's…different._

The question was: different how? Why couldn't I summon the same courage I had used to fight Oceanus to confront Reyna...or at least not cower around her?

"Long time no see," Lily said when she saw me, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I missed you when we visited Camp Half-Blood. Where were you?"

I smiled sheepishly at her. "Just…places."

Lily raised her eyebrow but didn't ask any more questions. She and Hank led those of us assigned to the Third Cohort down to the barracks to pack away our bags. Then, for the few who had come to Camp Half-Blood in just the past five months, they led us on a tour through New Rome. As we walked, it began snowing, and soon, there was a fine layer of white powder on the ground.

After a while, we found a place to eat, and since no one really wanted to practice formations or spar in the cold, we spent the rest of the afternoon in the only rock-climbing gym in New Rome. Eventually, we had to head up to the mess hall for dinner, and, as usual, everyone got to skip evening muster as long as the Greeks were here. I suspected that was the only reason some the Romans liked having us over so much.

When we got to the mess hall, I was pleasantly surprised to find the sides covered in a huge purple canvas, blocking out the wind and snow. The inside was lit by dozens of fires, which also served to make the whole place much warmer. As soon as I stepped past the canvas, I sighed in relief as warmth immediately spread across my numb hands.

Lily and Hank finally let us loose and headed to the table at the front – the table for the centurions, senior counselors, and praetors, mainly. I didn't sit at that table this time. Instead, I found myself a seat between Liam and Nyssa.

"Hey," I said to Liam after Nyssa had finished rattling at me for breaking another tool in the forge back at Camp Half-Blood. "Which cohort did you get put into?"

Liam smiled widely. "Fifth. You?'

"Third, same as a couple months ago," I said. Then I asked, "How is it going? Have you found anything about the epidemic yet?"

Liam shook his head. "I only dropped by the infirmary for a couple of minutes before I had to leave again, but from what I can tell, their not much further than we are. Then there's the storm…"

"Wait. What storm?"

Liam looked at me like I was crazy. "No one's told you yet?'

I shook my head.

Liam opened his mouth to answer, but just then, there was a banging sound. I looked up to the front and bit my lip when I saw Frank and Reyna standing at the front of the mess hall. I didn't really want to, but I forced myself to stare up at them as Frank began talking.

"We welcome the Greeks," he began, and this was met with a few whoops. "In your stay here, we celebrate the union of Greece and Rome in our most troubled times, when we won victory over Gaea herself in the Prophecy of Seven."

Cheers.

"However," Frank continued, his voice grim. "This is also a time of turmoil. As you all know, an epidemic has been spreading through our camps, and the mortal world as well. The world itself is growing colder, and we're getting more and more storms every day. A huge storm has gathered over Mount Othyrs."

Mount Othyrs. One of the Aphrodite kids had told me it used to be the mountain the titans ruled from before the gods had defeated them, and that the Romans had toppled their palace there in the First Great Prophecy. I also knew one of the titans supposedly held up the sky there, but I hadn't heard anything about it since.

"We sent our scouts into the storm to try to get to the top of Mount Othyrs," Reyna said, eyes dark, and I winced internally. "They were unsuccessful." At the murmurs, she went on, "None of them were injured, but they tried magic, and they still could not get through. The storm is simply impassable, which has led us to believe that something is happening up there that someone doesn't want us to know about."

Whispers swept through the mess hall. Reyna continued, "Our medics are working to find a cure to the epidemic and our scouts are still trying to get up the mountain, however everyone needs to be on guard. Hopefully, we will find the solution to all of these troubles soon. Until then, enjoy the celebrations."

Frank lifted his goblet into the air and bellowed, "Let's eat!"

The _aurae _appeared then and started serving up the food. As I had expected, a few floated around me confusedly, not exactly sure what they were supposed to be giving me, but eventually, one ended up serving me macaroni and cheese and another gave me a hamburger for good measure.

The rest of the night was spent talking with Romans from the Third Cohort, mostly about all of the strange things that had been happening these past few weeks. I had to fend off a few fauns begging for money and Liam dropped by every now and then, but it was mostly a blur of faces. I lost my drink along the way and somehow ended up with a goblet full of what smelled suspiciously like wine. That might've been part of the reason I had trouble concentrating on certain things.

When the place had finally calmed and everyone began heading to the barracks for the night, I spotted Reyna, talking to one of the centurions from the Fourth Cohort while waving a faun off with her golden dagger. Maybe it was the wine, but I decided I'd had enough of hiding. Taking a deep breath and steeling myself for the train wreck that was soon to come, I made my way through the thinning crowd towards her.

When I was still ten feet away, the centurion nodded farewell to her and started gathering up stray demigods. Then Reyna turned and told the faun something. From the way he blanched, I figured it wasn't anything nice. As the faun scuttled off, Reyna sheathed her dagger and turned to survey the mess hall. Her eyes soon landed on me, still slipping through the crowd to get to her.

Her reaction wasn't what I had expected. I had anticipated anger, maybe weariness. Instead, her face was an emotionless mask. But it was obvious she saw me.

Reyna looked me full in the face.

Then she turned.

And walked away.

* * *

_This has been a word of wisdom from the Praetor of the First Legion of Jelly Crabs and the ETCA._


	4. Calypso's Advice

Chapter IV

Calypso's Advice

_"Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?"_

_ "Get me out of here! Get me out!"_

_ "I… I don't…"_

_ "Please…Just stop…"_

_ "I live to serve you, and you alone."_

* * *

"What am I hearing?" I asked the darkness around me. The air seemed suffocating. "That voice sounds like me, but…"

_"Younger,"_ Typhon's voice said. _"You were younger."_

"Memories?" I whispered.

"You could say that."

I whirled around to find myself facing Liam. I wanted to throw my arms around him and cry out in relief, but something was stopping me. Something about him seemed…off.

"What do you mean?" I asked, watching him warily as he slowly started walking a circle around me. A couple yards behind him, shapes started moving in the darkness.

Liam just shrugged. Then he smiled, and it looked so…wrong, almost…evil. He said, "Memories are overrated anyways."

I gaped at him. "What-"

Suddenly, something lunged out of the darkness behind him. I opened my mouth to warn him, but the thing bounded right past him and leaped on me, maw open. I reached for my necklace, but it wasn't there, and when I tried to ignite, there wasn't so much as the slightest tingle.

It was a wolf. I could tell that much through my terror. But then it ripped into my shoulder.

I screamed and shoved it off. Even though my vision was spinning and blood was pouring down my arm, I leaped to my feet and kicked it as hard as possible. It snarled and jumped at me again, but I slammed it away with my good shoulder and it got up with a whimper and scampered off.

But then another was landing on my back. I tried to tear the animal off, but it dug its claws in and held on. More and more wolves started stalking out of the shadows towards me. They all attacked me, one after another, and I dodged then as best as I could, but there were too many of them.

And just a few feet away stood Liam, his hands in his pockets, watching with that incredibly _wrong _grin on his face. "You should really listen to what you hear while you're asleep," he said as one of the wolves tore at my hip. "You'll learn more than you ever will while awake."

I finally went down beneath the pack of wolves, screaming while Liam's cruel laugh echoed in my ears.

* * *

Gasping awake.

Ripping off my covers and tearing at the collar of my shirt, feeling as if the wolves were still biting me there. Desperately pulling my shirt up over my head, all the while trying not to fall off my upper bunk.

I finally realized that the wolves had stopped ripping and tearing, and I was safe. Or as safe as I would ever be with all the nightmares I was having.

I felt wetness on my neck and strained my eyes downwards. Blood soaked my neck, shoulders, and collarbone. Deep gashes crisscrossed the area and my shirt was already crusting at the collar.

I sighed and slipped my shirt back on, knowing the wounds would be healed by morning and I would have nothing to show for the hell I was going through night after night.

I fluffed my pillow and lay back in my bunk.

I was still awake when the sun rose.

* * *

That morning, Lily had an announcement.

"Listen up!" she called, and everyone stopped their morning groaning to listen. "As part of the celebrations, we're having a sparring tournament today, so you all get free reign while we get things set up. Everyone needs to report to the Field of Mars at noon. If you don't it'll be counted as an automatic disqualification. Understood?"

Everyone affirmed with muttered 'yeses', and a few feet away from me, Leo collapsed back into his bed - no doubt, to sleep the morning away. I, on the other hand, was starving. Deciding I would just find some other way to spend my morning, I finished lacing up my boots and headed up to the mess hall.

When I arrived, there were already dozens of demigods mulling around, talking about the upcoming tournament. I couldn't find Liam, so I sat with three Romans from the Third Cohort.

Once I was finished eating, I went down to the baths. Dried blood caked my neck and collarbone, and while I had managed to hide it with my hoodie during breakfast, I wanted to wash it off before anyone had the chance to notice. Luckily, I had been wearing one of the purple shirts I reserved for days my Camp Half-Blood T-shirt was especially dirty, so I just threw it in the trash and grabbed an extra.

I still had about an forty minutes to spare before we had to report to the Field of Mars for the tournament, so I decided to see if I could find Liam, if for nothing but to reassure me that the nightmares I was having couldn't be real. Deep down, I knew Liam would never do something like that, but I knew my mind wouldn't rest until I had seen him.

So I made my way up to the infirmary, where I had a sneaking suspicion he would be. As I had suspected, Liam was in the infirmary. The place was packed compared to how quiet it had been the last time I'd been wounded – after my battle with Oceanus. Demigods were laying on dozens of cots, and others were bent over them. I pushed between two talking Romans and spotted Liam across the tent, bent over a clipboard. I walked over to him and slumped into the chair beside him.

He looked up from his clipboard and smiled when he saw me. "Hey," he greeted.

I tried to smile, but it came out a little weak. "Hey," I replied.

Liam frowned and put the clipboard aside. "Hey," he said again, putting a comforting arm around my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nightmare," I said simply, leaning into him. Liam pulled me in closer to his chest and hugged me tightly.

"You gonna be okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I just needed a hug."

I felt Liam smirk. "Delivered."

I grinned and pulled away. I glanced around the infirmary and then looked back at him. "How's stopping the sickness going?'

Liam shook his head. "Still no progress. People are as sick as ever." Then he coughed.

I frowned and poked him in the shoulder. "You're not getting sick too, are you?"

Liam shrugged. "Don't know. Even if I am, no worries. Children of Apollo don't get as messed up as everyone else when they catch something. I'll be fine, and I'm not really worried about you because of the way you heal."

I nodded as a couple of kids carried in another teen on a stretcher. One of them motioned Liam over as they dropped him into a cot. Liam nodded and gave me a quick hug before heading over to them. I stood and pushed my way back out of the infirmary.

Now that my unease had been sated, I decided I'd better grab my things before we needed to muster at the Field of Mars. I snuck through New Rome and then down the _Via Praetoria. _I strapped on some armor and grabbed an extra dagger from the armory. By the time I'd finally managed to strap on my armor, almost everyone else had left to muster in the Field of Mars. I walked back to New Rome alone.

Along the way, I spotted a still figure standing in the path, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. As I got closer, I dimly recognized the brown hair and lithe figure. "Calypso?" I said when I drew even with her.

The beautiful girl smiled at me. "Hello, Amon," she said.

I didn't have time to stop and chat, so I kept walking. Calypso began walking beside me and I searched for something to say.

"So what are you doing here?" I tried.

"The gods have allowed me free reign for the moment," Calypso answered. "I thought I'd see how Leo was doing." She paused and then said, "But I mostly came here to talk to you."

I almost faltered, but I just swallowed and began skirting around the edge of New Rome. It would do no good for Terminus to get angry with me.

"Why?" I asked after a long moment.

"I wanted to talk to you about your father."

I stiffened. I hoped Calypso didn't notice. "What about him?" I asked.

"I know who he is," Calypso said. "I wanted to tell you being a child of Typhon isn'th te worst it can get."

This time I did stop. I turned toward her, hands shaking. "How do you know?" I hissed.

Calypso smiled disarmingly. "I've been around a long time," she said. "I know things."

I bit my lip. "You said that wasn't the worst it can get," I said, deciding not the respond to that last comment. "How can it get any worse than _this?_" I motioned to myself.

Calypso gave me a look that said 'you have no idea.' She said. "My father is Atlas."

I stared at her. "The titan?"

Calypso shrugged. "I'm not the only one," she said. "There are others. I once heard of a girl named Zoë Nightshade. She was also a daughter of Atlas."

I felt like I'd just been rammed by a hellhound. Zoë Nightshade had been the name of the girl in my dream. "Your point?" I managed.

"My point is that our parents do not choose where our lives lead us, whether they are titans or gods or monsters. _We _choose, and _we _lead. Remember that." It sounded eerily similar to what Chiron had said.

With that, she turned and started down into the Field of Mars. I stood there for a moment before calling, "Calypso!"

She turned to look at me.

"Who else knows?"

Calypso grinned at my concern in way that seemed way too Leo-like. "Just myself and the Lady of Fire." Then she continued walking and disappeared over the crest of the hill and down into the Field of Mars.

I sighed, partly in weariness and partly in relief. Calypso had said no one else knew, but that was probably because I'd been working so hard to make sure no one else found out. Calypso and the Lady of Fire may have been fine with it, but I had seen the look in Annabeth's eyes when she had realized who my father was. I knew the demigods might not take it so well.

Gods have mercy on me when they found out.

* * *

I got down to the Field of Mars just as everyone had gathered in a crowd to listen to instructions. Standing in front of the crowd were the praetors, the centurions, the senior counselors, and five other people I didn't recognize.

"Listen up!" Frank yelled, and the crowd went silent. "First of all, the centurions, senior counselors, as well as Reyna and myself will all be competing with you all. These former centurions-" He motioned to the five strangers. "-will be judging."

One of the five strangers, a young man with brown hair, stepped forward. "My name's Jonathan," he said cheekily. He went on to introduce the other four veterans, Stacy, Ivan, Lucy, and Edward. Then he said, "There's about five hundred of you, and with that many, we don't have enough time to have a classic tournament. So we're going to have a sudden death elimination round."

Everyone shuffled around me. Sudden death elimination?

"You're all going to fight right here on the Field of Mars. You can use any means necessary, but we would appreciate it if you all refrained from killing each other. It's a free for all. Each man for himself. The boundary is the Field of Mars. The last twenty-four demigods left standing will move on to the duel matches tournament that will take place in the coliseum tomorrow morning. Good luck!"

With that, he and the other four veterans trudged off the field. In the distance, a horn blew, and everyone shifted uneasily as both Reyna and Frank began drawing their weapons and distanced themselves from everyone else. Slightly stunned by this new turn of events, everyone else was slow to draw their weapons, and unfortunately one such Hermes kid suffered a knockout from the hilt of Frank's sword.

That's what spurred everyone else into action.

Suddenly, there was the sound of blades unsheathing all around me. I reached up and drew Shadowkiss, hefting my shield at the same time. Immediately, I had to block an attack to my left. Not want to be caught like a sitting duck, I pushed my shield into the offender and then lashed out with the hilt of my sword. It slammed into the unfortunate soul's face and the stranger dropped like a stone.

I hopped over his unconscious form and knocked out an unsuspecting Roman, then whirled to cut the legs out from beneath a Hermes boy. He fell to the ground and a buff Mars boy delivered a swift kick to the side of his head to make sure he stayed down. Then he turned to me. Acting quickly, I dashed forward and slammed my shield into his stomach. He grunted and I brought my fist up into his chin. He head snapped back and he too fell.

I winced as I kicked a Venus girl in the ribs and sent her sprawling. It wasn't that I really regretted hurting the others - not when they looked completely ready to do the exact same thing to me - but I could tell each blow _hurt. _I really didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

I continued to sling my shield back and forth, into stomachs and into shoulders. Shadowkiss sang in my hand, a black blur among gold and bronze. I didn't know how many demigods I took down, but when I finally stumbled out of the mass of fighting, it was with great relief. I took a few hurried steps away from the surging crowd and surveyed the situation. Already I could see more than half the contestants were out, but that also meant the ones left wouldn't be so easy to beat. I knew I wouldn't be winning this tournament, but I wanted to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

I took a deep breath and was about to dive back into the mob when Leo appeared a few feet away from me, a hammer in one hand and a wrench in the other, his entire body ablaze. I leaped away from him, the tip of my sword up.

"Hey, Amon." He grinned at me. He glanced at the throng of armored demigods before looking back at me. His smile widened. "Wanna make a pact?"

I surveyed him wearily, all the while highly aware the flurry of battle on my right. "What do you mean?" I asked, though I already had a pretty good idea.

"You know…a pact." Leo seemed to search fro the right words for a moment. "An alliance. You and I fight back-to-back and see if we can get to the last twenty together, yeah?"

I lowered Shadowkiss slightly. "Swear you won't attack me?" I asked.

"Swear it on the River Styx," Leo confirmed proudly.

I hesitated a moment, biting my lip. Then I nodded slowly. Leo grinned even wider and moved closer.

"Cool," he said, hefting his hammer and his wrench. "Then flame on. Let's do this."

I nodded and grappled inside my stomach for that cool tingling. I found it almost immediately, and I grasped as it with mental hands. The tingling spread throughout my body, down to my toes and through my fingers. I let out a little breath and willed it to happen.

My body burst into cool, purple flames.

I hadn't thought it possible, but Leo's grin stretched even wider. He nodded again, gave me a thumbs-up, and then plunged back into the fighting. Hefting Shadowkiss, I followed after him.

As soon as were in the crowd, things began to get a little chaotic for me again, but with my back pressed against Leo's, I didn't have to guard behind me anymore, which made focusing on what was going on in front of me much easier. Between the two of us, with out tools, weapons, and flames, we managed to wipe out a lot of demigods, both Roman and Greek.

After what seemed like forever, Leo slammed his hammer into another demigod's helmet, and the boy dropped like a stone. Just as I noticed how few of us were left, the horn sounded again, and we all froze midswing.

"Nicely done!" Jonathan called, trotting onto the Field of Mars. "That only took an hour!" At our confused looks, he spread his arms. "Look around! There's only twenty-four of you left!"

I glanced around myself, and indeed, my addled brain counted twenty-four demigods. Dozens of unconscious half-bloods were still laying on the ground, but others, after having woken up or just being wounded, had managed to drag themselves off the Field of Mars and were being tended to.

Heaving a weary sigh, I discarded Shadowkiss and tiredly slung my shield over my back. Leo slipped his hammer and wrench into his tool belt and we both extinguished our flames. He gave me a weary grin and a fist bump

"Tomorrow, things will get a lot more interesting," Jonathan continued as we all tiredly stumbled over to him. "You'll have the rest of the day to rest, but you all need to report to the coliseum at ten tomorrow. We'll be holding the rest of the tournament there, and the people of New Rome will actually be watching these matches. Terminus will know who's in the tournament and who's not, so don't worry about hiding your weapons from him." He offered us a cheery smile. "Congratulations on making it through the sudden death round! Good luck tomorrow!"

With that, he whirled around and the five veterans made there way out of the Field of Mars, towards New Rome, leaving the Apollo kids to tend to our wounds. Luckily, I had managed to escape the sudden death elimination with only a couple dozen scratches here and there, but my muscles were screaming of weariness.

"Well," Leo said cheerfully. "Thanks Amon. But don't think this'll get you off the hook. If I have to fight you, I'm still going to kick your butt." With that reassuring comment, he trotted off to where I could see Calypso standing.

I glanced around, taking in the rest of the contestants. Leo and myself were still standing, along with Frank, Hazel, Clarisse, Reyna, the centurions, and those senior counselors that remained over the summer, along with a few other Romans and Greeks. Despite myself, my eyes lingered on Reyna for a moment longer than the others. Then I bit my lip and looked away before anyone else could notice.

"Just great," I huffed, stalking in the direction of the baths. "This will be loads of fun."

* * *

_This has been a word of wisdom from the Praetor of the First Legion of Jelly Crabs._


End file.
